Almost two years ago, Aitor Karanka raised eyebrows somewhat by organising a friendly with Sunderland at the business end of the Championship season.

For Karanka, it was a useful opportunity to keep his players match fresh as the Championship broke off for a fortnight break.

The game came at a crunch time in the campaign, the week after David Nugent had headed home that dramatic late winner against Hull City at the Riverside, and the trip to the Stadium of Light for the behind-closed-doors friendly offered the Spaniard the chance to make sure some key players remained sharp while also having a look at those on the fringes.

For Karanka, the friendly was "almost perfect" with the only concern being a slight knee knock picked up by Sola. It proved to be nothing serious but he still didn't kick a ball again for Boro that season.

So what happened next for the players who featured for Boro that day, and what are they doing with themselves now?

Michael Agazzi

Ah, Michael.

Agazzi joined Boro on loan in the 2015/16 season as Aitor Karanka looked to bolster his options between the sticks but the Italian's overall appearance tally on Teesside was 0.

You couldn't fault his love for a later winner, mind. He dived out of his seat on the bench to leg it down the touchline and join in with the celebrations after that Adam Forshaw goal against Reading.

Since leaving Boro, he's knocked about in the Italian leagues, joining Cesena from AC Milan in 2016 before heading for Alessandria last summer. He's still with the Serie C side now, though sadly for Agazzi, he lost his spot in the team in December of last year so is now the deputy.

Ritchie de Laet

It was always going to be difficult for Ritchie de Laet to maintain the high of the 2015/16 season. That year, he won the Premier League title and promotion from the Championship.

Not a bad season's work.

He's had a bit of a rough time since, though. He missed almost the entirety of last year with a serious injury at Aston Villa and struggled to force his way back into Steve Bruce's plans. To his delight, he headed back to his homeland and joined Antwerp on loan last month.

He's made four appearances in Belgium so far.

Ritchie De Laet, Stewart Downing and Jordan Rhodes

Tomas Kalas

Two years on and Tomas Kalas remains a Chelsea defender out on loan in the Championship.

He's at Fulham now, as he was last season. You could easily make a case to say Boro should have extended his stay on Teesside.

Kalas has a tattoo which reads: 'You have to keep moving forward'. Is he doing that at Chelsea, where he signed a new four-year deal in the summer?

Well Kalas himself admits he doesn't want to spend his full career on loan.

“In the next one or two years hopefully a decision will be made and my career will be settled somewhere. It is difficult to make it at Chelsea. I can’t say it’s easy, nobody would. But if they offer you a four-year contract, you can’t just refuse."

Ben Gibson

Since that friendly with Sunderland, Gibson has had an England call-up, being linked with just about every club in the Premier League and enjoyed a run of 85 straight matches in the Boro team.

That ended on Tuesday night when he missed the win over Hull through illness. He'll be back in at the heart of the Boro defence at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

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Mark Kitching

Wembley, Wembley....

Mark Kitching was part of the Rochdale team that snatched that dramatic last gasp leveller against Spurs in the FA Cup and is likely to be part of the team that lines up at Wembley in next week's money spinning replay.

The 22-year-old made his loan move to Dale permanent last year and has made 17 appearances this season, scoring twice.

Mark Kitching of Rochdale (Image: Getty Images)

Emilio Nsue

Nsue is closing in on a title...in Cyprus.

He left Birmingham City for Apoel Nicosia earlier this season and made quite the impression, scoring five goals in his first four games. Maybe Equatorial Guinea were on to something when they played Nsue up-front, after all.

Apoel are currently two points clear at the top of division after 25 games.

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Adam Clayton

Even in a friendly, Aitor Karanka stuck with what he knew and played his go-to defensive midfielder in the centre of the park.

Unfortunately for Clayton, his place in the team isn't a given now as it was back then. He's back in the matchday fold now, mind, under Pulis and will still hope to play a key role in the coming weeks.

Adam Forshaw

Other than that spell at the start of the Premier League season, Forshaw, while often impressive when he did get a chance, always struggled to nail down a regular spot in the Boro team.

The early signs are that he will have no such problem at Leeds, which comes as no real surprise when you consider that the fee United forked out for the Scouse midfielder was the most they'd spent on a player since 2001/02.

After Paul Heckingbottom took charge at Elland Road, many Leeds fans were calling on Forshaw to be made club captain.

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Carlos de Pena

Carlos de Pena, a player that Middlesbrough Football Club would rather forget about.

The Uruguayan winger arrived with quite a reputation and a deadline day story to tell but turned out to be a costly flop.

He's back in his homeland now and, like Nsue, is top of the league he's playing in. According to Transfermarkt, however, he hasn't been in the Nacional squad for any of the three games played so far.

He's still just as busy on Instagram, mind, if you're ever at a loose end and fancy checking in on how he's faring.

Kike Sola

Kike Sola's season is looking up, even if it's ever so slightly.

The striker, now 31, is still at Athletic Bilbao, in La Liga, but has been out of the picture all season and wasn't once named in the matchday squad...until last weekend when he was included on the bench for the game against Atletico Madrid.

He spent last season on loan at Numancia in the second tier.

Kike Sola v MK Dons

David Nugent

The season of the friendly with Sunderland ended in promotion for Boro and David Nugent.

How Derby County's fans will be hoping for a similar outcome for the striker this season. The likeable striker has been a key player for the Rams but he's scored just twice in his last 14 games as the Rams endure a bit of a blip.

They're still well placed in the Championship table but after a run of just two wins in eight, Pride Park regulars will be hoping Derby aren't suffering a similar slide to what they've had in previous seasons.

With the steady hand of Gary Rowett in charge, they should be fine to at least make the top six.

And the subs that day...

Tomas Mejias

Ready for an alarming stat?

Since that behind-closed-doors friendly with Sunderland, Tomas Mejias has played just once for Boro - and that was in the Checkatrade Trophy against Blackpool.

Now 29, Mejias appears to be as far away from the first team as he's ever been since joining Boro.

Tomas Mejias.

Jonny Burn

Still only 22, Burn has been rather busy in the last couple of years.

First he signed for Kilmarnock on loan, before he joined Bristol Rovers on a permanent deal. He's still a Rovers player but is now on loan at York City and, after falling out of favour at the Memorial Stadium, has admitted he would be open to a permanent move away from Bristol.

York are currently sixth and in the play-off spots. Hopefully Burn can help lead them to promotion this year.

Daniel Ayala

DANIEL.

Still at Boro and looking something like being back at his imperious best. He was one of, if not the best, defender in the Championship two seasons ago and when he's on song you wouldn't swap him for many defenders in the division this season.

Ayala suffered an inconsistent start to the season under Garry Monk but under Pulis the Spaniard has thrived.

George Friend

Another defender who has benefited from the appointment of Pulis.

Under Monk, Friend had found himself in an unfamiliar position: out of the team and few signs to suggest that was going to change anytime soon.

Pulis wasted no time in getting Friend back in the team ahead of Fabio, though, and the popular left-back is loving life under the Welshman.

"You have to work under him to appreciate him I think," he said this week.

George Friend

Jordan Rhodes

Between the friendly with Sunderland and the end of the 2015/16 season, Jordan Rhodes scored five goals, all crucial as Boro got over the line.

Since the start of last season, however, Rhodes has only managed nine goals in all competitions. After what was ultimately a frustrating spell at Boro, the move to Sheffield Wednesday was supposed to reignite his career but it hasn't quite worked out that way so far.

A prolific striker at his best and a thoroughly likeable bloke, hopefully he gets back to his very best at Hillsborough.